The Tale of Broly: Rising of the Shield Hero (Hiatus)
by Phanzuru
Summary: Such a world that is built on hate is never a world for a pure-hearted being such as Broly. Minor genderbend characters. (Ah, P.S. I'm open for constructive criticism if anything you don't like is here.)
1. Chapter 1

The clunky sound of chains moving about stirred him awake. His eyes start to open. Soon after, he looks at his surrounding area; it was too dark to see anything. He tried to move, but the tugging and sounds of chain was what held him down. Why was he here? How long has he been here? He couldn't remember, but he did remember the fight that had weakened him. He could feel the bruises on his body, but wait, why was it that it felt like a trail? Why did it feel like his skin was burning?

The sound of footsteps alerted him. He knew that someone was coming; and even so, he was ready to face them. Whoever kept him within this… place, they would surely pay. This pain on his body… they had to pay. It stings, and it hurts.

"Well, well, Prisoner, it looks like you're up and early. Usually, you'd be sleeping by now. Oh well, it makes it more fun to do this then." It was dark, but he could see the silhouette of someone in front of him. He was… wearing armor? No, it didn't matter, nothing's going to stop him from taking him down.

"Rgggh!" He was on his feet, wanting to break free from the chains that held him stationary. And yet, for the confused reason, he couldn't break free. It… how many of those chains were on him? 4? 6? The sound of a chuckle slightly angered him.

"You're funny, aren't you? You really think you can escape from those chains? Well, from your last attempt, I thought you would've learned your lesson. Too bad for you, Prisoner," Because of his mocking tone, he started to growl at him, causing the man in armor to laugh once again. "Luckily for you, you're not going to be executed. No, we have something more… favorable for you. Ah, you see, you must thank the king for his kindness for doing this. Now then, don't struggle much and you won't feel _too _much pain." Upon hearing his words, the door(?) to his cell opened.

"Grrk!" He felt something attach his neck: it was another chain placed on him. He struggled to break free, but the chains on his body were still holding him down.

"Didn't I tell you not to struggle? Geez, for a prisoner of treason, I would've thought you'd be able to do what you're told." He was brought onto his knees again. And now, his stationary body started to move without him even walking. What was he on? And especially…

Why was he here?

* * *

Who… are they? Why were they staring? At me? Where… is this place? I… am… being tugged. But… to where? I… want to be free. I want to be free…

"Now then, Shield Hero, I have a proposition for you," Who… is that… speak...ing? What… is this big building? So… many persons. "It is truly unfortunate for you to have no one by your side at this current moment. Now, as to this proposition, I have the solution as to getting you a suitable partner in your journey."

"Really?! If it's just one, then I'm all ears!"

"Very well then. Guards! If you must, bring in the prisoner!"

"Wait, prisoner?!" When he said that, the doors behind us opened, revealing a… rather huge guy on… a wagon? Hold on, did he just say prisoner?! Why on Earth is he giving me a prisoner for a partner?!

"King, what's going on here? Why are you… you know, trying to-" He sighed, ever sounding so annoyed and disappointed. Does he have some sort of problem with me?!

"Ahem, if you allow me to speak, I would be glad to answer your confused expression," I swear, this king of theirs has it out for me for some reason. Anyway, that… huge guy that's chained on that wagon… there's something weird about him. I mean, sure, he's a prisoner, but he looks… kind of confused. "As I mentioned earlier, since there is no one left to assist you on your journey, I had made the decision of allowing this… prisoner to have a chance of redemption."

"Redemption? If you don't mind me asking, what did this prisoner do?" I heard Itsuki ask, sounding clearly interested in where this was going. Normally, I wouldn't even bother sparing a glance at a criminal, but since I have no one else to work with, I might just have to think about this a bit more clearer.

"Treason, Sir Itsuki. This fiend dared to infiltrate my country without thinking of any consequences! If we hadn't summoned the Heroes at this time, I would've had his life executed!" Treason? You mean this guy tried to sneak into this country for… whatever reason? And if he was to be executed, why does he want him with me? A criminal and a Hero working together? That just doesn't seem right for my reputation!

"That's kind of unnerving, you know. I mean, why do we need to work with a criminal? If he's supposed to be executed, then let him be executed." Momo, or rather, the Heroine of the Spear spoke loudly. I don't appreciate what she said about me, saying that the wielders of shields are nothing but losers, but I'm not going to buy that crap. Even people who wield shields are cool, right? Like, if I'm wielding something that's not supposed to be used as a weapon, who knows what kind of gimmick this thing has? But anyway, I'm more interested in the fact that the king wants a criminal on my side.

"So basically, because there are no other options left for her, you're going to allow a prisoner to work with us? I have my share opinion of thinking that this is a terrible idea." Ren crossed his arms, disliking the idea entirely.

"I understand your uncertainty, Sir Ren, but this is all but the decision of the Shield Heroine," Wait, it's _my _decision?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?! But then, my eyes widened, realizing what he means by my decision. "Okay then, let's stop dragging this out. Shield Hero, you have two decisions to choose from: allow this prisoner to be in your party, or have him executed!"

"You can't be serious! You're basically asking me to-"

"Raagghh!" Hearing the prisoner start to yell, all attention turned towards him, allowing everyone to see him struggle to become free from the chains that held him down. From our angle, he looks like a monster that was waiting to be freed. But, in my eyes… no, you shouldn't feel bad for a prisoner, Nanami.

"Silence, you fiend!" But before he could struggle any longer…

"GAAAAAH!" His body started to electrocute, causing him to scream out in agony. What was going on? Why did his body start to spew out electricity?! And what the hell is that purple thing on his chest?!

"..." His screams started to dissipate, only leaving out growls towards all of us. I get that he's a prisoner… but must he look so tattered and beaten? His clothes doesn't even look clean; most notably that green cloth that's wrapped around his waist.

"Good. It's good to know that your body remembers the pain of the Slave Crest, or we would need to silence you with other means necessary."

"'Slave Crest'? You mean that this guy's a slave?" All of the Heroes, including myself, were shocked to hear this. Not only is this guy a prisoner, but they put him as a slave? Meaning that this world allows slavery?!

"Rest assured, Shield Heroine, that Slave Crest that rests on his chest is there to put him into submission. You see, this fiend was anything but a normal criminal. The amount of destruction that he's caused to infiltrate my country is truly unforgivable."

"But still, a slave? That's rather-"

"That's enough, Shield Heroine. I would like your answer at this very second. Allow this prisoner to join your party for the meantime, or wait until I gather some more warriors that are willing to fight with you." This… isn't right! If I allow a criminal in my party, my reputation, and the risk of him killing me is high! But if I don't… then I basically killed a man! Why must this decision be pushed down to me?!

"I… have my answer." Everyone looked uneasy as they waited for me to answer, especially the other Heroes. I… never thought I would be saying something like this, but what other choice do I have?

* * *

These… persons. Why are they harming me? What did I do to them? I can't… remember. I want out! I want out! Pull! Pull! Pull! Let me go!

"I said silence!"

"GAAAGH!" It hurts! It hurts! Why does it hurt?! Why do they hurt me?! I want to leave! The pain… is gone? It is… gone again? Why does it not hurt anymore?

"I decided… to have him in my party." What is… 'party'? What does that word mean?

"Very well then, Master Nanami. Now, if I must ask, please, give us a drop of your blood. As he is a prisoner, I will not allow him to walk around my country without supervision. So, just in case, I want him to become your slave." 'Sl...ave'? What is… 'slave'?

"What?! But isn't there… some other way to-" Remember. Why can't I remember? Where am I?

'_Ka… me… ha… me… ha!" _There was… that blue guy. Yes! I was… fighting that blue guy! But… what happened after? Why… am I… here?

"Um, excuse me."

"Grk!" Who is she?! She… wants to hurt me! I won't be hurt anymore! Pull! Pull! Let me go!

"Please, you have to stop! You're going to be electrocuted again if you keep doing that! Just… calm down, okay?"

'_Calm down, Broly! You have to learn when to stop and control yourself!' _I… I… have to calm down. I have to control myself. I have to… respect my dad's wishes. But… Dad is gone. And it is only me left. I cannot escape, and I cannot lose control. Bad things only happen when I lose control.

"You've done well to have him calm down, Master Nanami. Now then, we must remove the seal and replace it with another one."

As the Slave Crest was already revealed, some of the king's helpers poured… something on his chest that caused it to disappear. But soon after, they used my blood and placed the seal on him again.

"Grk!" He looks to be in pain again. Why was this even happening to me? I thought I would have a normal journey in this brand new world, and I already have to deal with something so… bad to watch. After the crest was on, I had a screen showing something about slaves, but I didn't care at that point. Right now, the only thing important is to see if he's alright or not.

"Hey, um… sir? Are you… okay?" I asked him as his head was downwards. He didn't respond, which I thought wasn't good, but he slightly raised his head upwards, allowing me to see his black eyes. For some reason, he looks… rather calm. Is the electricity not hurting him as I thought it would?

"I made sure to have a powerful crest for that prisoner, Master Nanami. For that fiend, we need to make sure that he's subdued and not trying to do anything suspicious. As he is now your slave, I would expect you to make sure he isn't going to do anything that catches my eye, correct?" I gulped before nodding my head. Alright, since he's my… slave, I have to make sure that he doesn't do anything that's going to make him get executed. This… might be difficult if it's only going to be handling this big guy.

"Excuse me," Turning around, I see a hand raised high. "I'm rather concerned to the point where our brave and wonderful Shield Heroin might not be able to control the prisoner. Instead of allowing her to handle this duty on her own, would it be alright if I assist her?" She's… willing to help me? That red-haired woman that's on Momo's team wants to help me? I don't understand the sudden change of heart, but the more the merrier! Having more people at my side helps the most!

"If that is what you wish, then do what you must. If anything suspicious happens, be sure to report back to me. And if he gets out of hand… I'll be sure to handle him appropriately." He wants him dead, I can tell. But if he wants him dead, why have him be put onto my team? Something just… feels off about the king's decision. Oh well, as long as I have some teammates, then my journey will become a whole lot easier!

"I-It's a pleasure to have you on my team!" I spoke to the man. The only way he responded was by looking up to me from his lowered head again. Wait, if he's going to be on my team, then I need to know his name. I can't just refer to him as a prisoner.

"Team?" Wait, why does he look so confused? Is he some sort of airhead?

"Yeah, we're a team for now on. I know you're a criminal, but I hope that we can get you some more respect as our journey progresses. If you work with me, then the possibility of you not being my slave is very high! You'll be able to be free!" It might not be possible to do that, but I can still try! If I can help him earn the respect for helping me, then he won't be labeled as a criminal! That way, people wouldn't have to question the idea of me having a criminal on my team!

"Cri...minal?" Oh boy, I think he might be an airhead. How does he not know what a criminal is? Hm, well, since this a new world, I shouldn't be surprised that not that many people could understand some words. But… could that even be possible? Who wouldn't be able to understand a word so simple?

"... Do you have a name?" I know I could look into what his name at any time, but I'd rather not. Just the thought of having a criminal labeled as a slave is just… too much. I'd rather just learn it from him.

"My name is Broly." Compared to being annoyed and angry from earlier, he's speaking rather calmly to me.

"Broly, huh? Well, my name is Nanami Iwatani. It's a pleasure to meet you." I motioned my hand for him to shake, but I forgot that he's… chained up. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to do that! We should probably get you out of there so you can… not look uncomfortable. But you have to promise to not cause any trouble after being free, okay?" I raised my finger at him, which he only decided to look at it with a wondrous look.

"No… trouble." He answered. This is a criminal, so I need a little more than just that.

"Promise? You have to promise me that you won't cause any trouble! I'd rather not have one of my first teammates to get executed on the spot." Again, he looked at me with a confused expression. Hm, I might need to learn some more about this guy. If he keeps looking confused about everything I say, then this might be a problem for communication.

"I… promise?" That's close enough, but why did he say that in the form of a question? This guy is definitely an airhead! Oh well, since he's my teammate, then I guess I'm going to have to deal with it.

"Okay, Broly, it's a pleasure to be working with you!" I smiled. I might not have that many people on my team right now, but I guess I'm going to have to recruit some more members! That's going to make the journey even more fun! I can't wait!

"It is very nice to meet you." Well, with someone as odd as him on my team, then it might get even more weird for me...

**(A/N) **

**Quick note: yes, I am one of those people that find it interesting on a female Naofumi. Not for a romance kind of setting, but for the idea of how a female Naofumi would be in a story. How could a female Naofumi deal with being accused of rape? Well, I'm not going to do that. Now, why Broly? Well, since I like the concept of Broly's story in Dragon Ball Super, I decided to create this story. Now, you can hate me all you want for an idea like this, but I'm just going to say that I have my ideas and you have yours. I'm not trying to focus on Broly being overpowered in a world such as this. I want to focus on Broly dealing with a world that's built on hate and to manage himself in this kind of world. Oh, and Motoyasu is a female as well because I want a balance between the characters. And if you are having trouble who is talking in the story, we all know how Broly speaks. I'm just trying to build his way of speaking to others in a more slower way of understanding what he's hearing. **


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N) **

**I'm... sorry for reacting the way I acted on the first chapter. And so, for an apology, here's a long one. **

"Madam Herorine, what do you think of this world as of now?" It took some time, but after getting those chains off of Broly, we were soon on our way to discover some stuff about this place. As this was a town, seeing so many people do their own duties shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary.

"It looks good so far! I caught a glimpse of this place last night, but being close to everything truly shows how different this world is." Looking around, I could see the many things that makes this place a whole lot different: people leading dragons, kids watching magic tricks, and… well, it's colorful, too!

"Is that so? Since we took a glimpse around the town, is there anything you want to do next?" Myne, the woman who decided to join my party as well, sounded ecstatic to wait for my answer. Well, she's a bit of a lively person, I guess.

"Hm, maybe we should try…" Looking at Broly, who was busy looking around the place from behind us, I noticed that he looked… rather fascinated? "Broly, is there anything you want to do?" Hearing his name being called, he turned from whatever he was looking at and looked at me.

"I… don't know this place very well." He responded a bit slowly. Short words, but I guess I'll take it. He seemed shy; the very opposite of how he reacted in the castle, but that might be because of the fact he was chained up like a monster. Looking at his attire, the only thing that he's currently wearing is his purple leggings and… that green robe. Does that… have fur on it? Nevermind that, he's half-naked! Maybe… a change of clothing is necessary? I can't have him walking around town with no shirt on, that will only be putting people on alert!

"How about a place for equipment? Not only that, but maybe a clothing store as well? What do you say, Myne?" Snapping her from whatever trace she had on him, she turned to me with a reddened face. What, don't tell me that she's… She can't be serious...

"Y-yes, Madam Hero?! You wish for a place of clothing and equipment? Well, I know a place to get some armor, so we should try that place first, okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine. I don't think my hoodie looks any special of the sort, right?" Myne looked at me with a confused look.

"Your… hoodie? Is that what your attire is called?" Oh, right, since this is another world, some of the things that are fashionable in my world, isn't recognizable in this one. Gotta remember that.

"Sorry, you don't have to worry about it. What I'm wearing is just my hoodie and pants from my world, so we should probably go find suitable clothing for me to wear as well. You know, to not have people staring at me weirdly?" Finishing that sentence, I caught Broly looking at something again. He didn't have that fascinated look on his face anymore. And so, looking in his direction, I could see people…

Oh, right, I forgot about his situation.

"Hey, Broly?" At the mention of his name again, he turned around to look down at me. He was tall, but I wouldn't say that he was that tall.

"Yes?" Just by looking at his face, I could tell they weren't bothering him. It was that, or the fact that doesn't understand why they were staring at him in the first place. I can only hope it's because of the fact that he's shirtless. Speaking about him being shirtless, it looks like he's all banged up. Was this because of the soldiers torturing him? That's… unsettling.

"Try not to stare at them, okay? If you show any sign of disapproval, you're only giving them what they want." He nodded his head. I couldn't tell if he was still confused or not. Other than that, after we get him some clothes, we should get something for him to recover from his injuries. He might not look bothered by them, but it bothers me. I'm his partner, after all.

* * *

"Welcome to my shop miss…?" Walking into the shop that Myne recommended, I could see why she recommend this place. This place has a ton of equipment!

"Nanami! My name is Nanami, and I am the Heroine of the Shield!" I bowed in front of him, showing him that I have manners. First thing to do when introducing yourself: make sure you make a good impression!

"Shield Heroine? It's rare for a woman to play the role of a Hero, but I shouldn't judge. Anyway, if your the Shield Heroine… then, that guy right next to you is… that criminal." Raising my head, I could see Broly bowing right next to me. Hm. He might be an airhead and a criminal, but I guess he has some manners.

"Um… yes, this is Broly, if you're wondering. Broly, you can stop bowing now." Raising his head and standing up straight, he started to look around with a dumbfounded gaze.

"Broly, huh? As much as I would like to know why a criminal is working for you, I would mainly like to know what takes you to my shop." Strangely enough, he seems rather calm even knowing that a criminal is in his shop. More importantly, how did he know that Broly was partnering up with me?

"We've come here to gather some equipment for the Shield Heroine! Our budget is… looking around 250 silver." I caught the guy looking at Broly a little, seeing that Broly was only staring at the armor and swords, but looking back to Myne, he smiled.

"Why, of course! Let me get back to you in a second!" With that, he walked away to gather any kind of equipment that's around our budget. Since we're setting on 800 silver, it'll be best to conserve some of them well. I'm going to need equipment and so will Broly.

"Sorry for the holdup, I've got everything around your budget, right here! You guys are lucky enough that I plan ahead." I'm happy that he was able to plan ahead. He was only gone for a second!

"Left to right, it's Iron, Magic Iron, Magic Steel, and Silver Iron in ascending order of price! All quality swords guaranteed!" Placing down each and every one of the swords that he picked out, I found myself being fascinated by them. Just looking at the sharpness of these swords are getting me hyped!

"First, I want to see how light they-ah!" After picking up the crimson-like sword, something electrocuted me! "Was that supposed to happen?!" I asked him. Even him, the blacksmith, was surprised by what happened. Something tells me that it wasn't supposed to happen.

"Hmph?" Without even realizing it, I noticed Broly looking at the sword with a confused expression. When did he get behind me?

"Well… I've never seen a reaction like that before…" Judging by his expression, I could tell that this was unusual. Suddenly, a menu popped in front of my face with an… error message?

"By the looks of it, the sword just flew out of your hands!" I heard Myne speak as I read the error message.

Rule Violation: The Four Legendary Heroes are forbidden to equip any other weapon other than the Legendary Weapons.

"...It appears that I can't use any other weapon other than the Shield." Being curious, the blacksmith walked other to me with a magnifying glass in his hand. Looking at it with his magnifying glass, a bright light started to spew from out of it! Can anything be used with magic in this world?!

"Well, this is interesting; I can't seem to pick up anything from this shield! Other than the fact that it's like any ordinary shield, I can sense a great amount of magic within it. Sorry if I got a little close, I was only curious, that's all."

"Er, well, it's fine. As long as you were trying to figure out what's going on with it, then it's fine! Well, other than that, can we… get some armor? Along with Broly too?

"Well, kiddo, if a weapon isn't going to help, then, armor sure as hell will! He looks like a big guy, but around here, anything is made for all sizes! I'll be right back!"

* * *

"Well, aren't you looking the part? This is around your budget, so there you go!" God, this was embarrassing. Dressing for men and having them wait outside for me? I'm just lucky that Myne is a girl…

"Hehehehe…" I couldn't really make out words because of how embarrassed I was. The armor wasn't anything revealing, it consisted of a brown dress, a brown jacket, and shoulder pads. It wasn't anything eye-catching, but since it's armor, I'm fine with it. Taking a look at Broly, the armor he was given a bit similar to mine as he wore a brown trench coat, a light brown vest underneath, black pants, and shoulder pads as well. Strangely enough, he still has that dirty fur robe around his waist. I wonder if it's really important to him…

"How much does it cost for the both of them?" Myne asked. Seeing that he was busy staring at Broly for a second before being mentioned, he smiled again.

"Since you'd showed me something interesting, I'll give you both a discount. And this includes the discount of you being a Heroine, too." I'm getting a discount for being a Heroine?! Holy crap, I wonder if the other stores around here will give me a discount!

"T-thank you so much!" When I bowed again, all I got for a response was a laugh from him. Myne only giggled before walking away to see some of the weapons on the wall.

"Don't worry about it! If anything, I should really thank you for showing me that shield of yours! But, more importantly, can I ask you something?" Whispering out to me, I find this odd. Is he whispering being Myne nor Broly is with me?

"S-sure." He had a serious expression; something about that doesn't look good for me…

"Well, it's about that guy that you brought with you; is he… really the criminal that I've been hearing about? I know I said I wouldn't ask about it, but something about him is bothering me." Huh? What's that supposed to mean?

"What do you mean by that? Is there something wrong with Broly?"

"Well, the guy looks innocent! Just look at him!" After whispering, I looked at Broly, who was busy looking at the sword that was placed on the wall. After staring at it for a few seconds, he pointed his index finger at the tip of it, not being bothered by it at all. "The guy that I heard about was to be fearsome and menacing! He… doesn't look the part at all!"

"Fearsome and menacing?"

"You wouldn't know because you just got here, so I'll tell you the story. So, two days ago, that guy was said to had fallen from out of the sky. With that, in the east part of town, he destroyed some buildings during his fall!" Fallen from out of the sky? If he fell from the sky, then that means that he couldn't have tried to infiltrate this town. If anything was possible… then I might as well say that Broly might not be part of this world! He did say that this place was unfamiliar to him, so that must be right! But… how is he alive? A fall from the sky and going through buildings would've been enough to kill someone… but not Broly?

"And… what about his destruction?"

"Well, besides the buildings, I don't know anything else. He's a criminal that infiltrated Melromarc by a weird method and failed as he was immediately captured on sight as he was unconscious at the time. What I find odd is that he isn't dead yet. Anyone that infiltrates Melromarc was to be sentenced on trial or even executed. Strangely enough, I find the guy working with one of the Heroes that is said to be helping us against the Waves. Something about you wanting him as a partner saved him from being executed." I find that strange too. Besides executing him then and there… the king gave me the choice of having him executed? Why me?

"Well, before Myne, no one wanted to be my partner. I… didn't have that much of a choice because… the king ordered me to either have him as a partner… or-"

"Execute him? Why would he do that? Asking a young girl such as yourself to make that kind of decision is… nothing like royalty. And especially when you just introduced to this world." I nodded my head. Even he found it weird for the king to do that.

"Well, thank you for the armor. I'll be sure to come back again when I need to." Patting my head, he smiled.

"Now don't you sound like a trustworthy customer! If you keep coming back to my equipment, then you're welcome here any time! And especially your two partners! Just… be sure to keep an eye on him, okay? I feel like we're not seeing something with this guy…" I nodded my head and gave him the money for our equipment. Seeing that this was the first time I bought armor for my team, it's time for me to start my first battle!

* * *

"This… is where my adventure begiiiins!" I was standing in the middle of a grass field. Seeing that this was right behind Melromarcs' walls, this had to be the starting area. I was hyped up for this very moment; the moment where I go outside of the castle's protection and fight off some monsters! I can't wait to get stronger! Even if I'm only using a shield, I can prove that I can be strong too!

"Good look, Madam Heroine!" Seeing that Myne was waving at me from the sidelines, I waved back, thanking her for giving me the opportunity to fight these monsters off myself. I would like help to fight off monsters, but I need to learn to protect myself from them first!

*Ding!*

The sound of a 'ding' had made me look to the direction it came from; in front of me. Three red indicators popped up in the grass. Not only were there a few monsters in front of me, but they were small enough to hide in the grass? Looks like I need to keep my guard up!

Seeing something jump out of the grass, I looked up to see… an orange ball with an angry look on its face? Noticing that it wasn't friendly, I punched the ball in the face, giving me a very satisfying feeling in my knuckles. That felt good to do!

"Madam Heroine!" Looking back in Myne's direction, I could see a group of orange balls heading right towards me! I tried to get away from them, but they were already close enough as they were. I can only hope that they don't do too much-

*Glomp!*

Huh? Looking on my body, I could see five of the angry orange balls biting me. Strangely enough, they don't hurt! Wait, I forgot about the shield's high defensive stats! Meaning that these guys won't be doing the least bit of damage on me!

"Get… off!" Shaking them off of my body, they started to separate and circle around me. I found myself smiling as they did so. Heh, they actually think they stand a chance against me! "Let's do this!"

And with that, the first swing was made.

* * *

_B _

This… isn't like Vampa at all. There are no giant monsters around here. Sitting down, I found myself sitting on… soft green fur that almost reminds me of Ba. This is really nice green fur.

*Glomp!*

Something… orange and round bit me on my left arm. But it didn't hurt. Why was this strange orange ball biting me? Was it… trying to be my friend? Grabbing it off of my arm, I looked at its face. It looks… angry… like when I met Ba. He was scary at first… but we turned ended up being friends after we trained together.

I smiled.

"You… want a friend, don't you?" No longer did the orange ball have a scary face. I knew it. It's upset because it doesn't have a friend to have. "My name is Broly. If we're friends, then, I think… I'll call you… Ra. I think Ba would've liked that name too."

* * *

Punching the last Orange Balloon in the face, I found myself breathing a bit heavily. I am so out of shape. For a monster, I find that name to be strange. Nevermind that, as long as I get used to this, I'll be able to last longer than this! I wonder what Broly is doing right now. I haven't seen him yet.

"M-Madam Heroine!" Hearing Myne call out for me, I turned around to see her looking a bit scared at something. Why does she look so scared? To see why she's so scared, I looked at the direction that she was facing and-

"Broly!" Realizing why Myne was looking so scared, I ran over to Broly to speak with him. Please… don't tell me that he doesn't know that they're monsters!

"Yes?" He asked me, not seeing what was wrong. Okay, I'm really starting to think that he's an airhead right now! He… can't be faking any of this stuff! I looked at his health to see that it hadn't moved an inch, and that's fine and strange at the same time, but…

"You have those Orange Balloons on your body! You have to get them off!" Seeing that a huge majority of them had jumped off of him besides one after I screamed, I find this odd.

"This here is Ra. He is my new friend that I made while sitting down on the green fur. He was lonely, so I decided to become friends with him." That's… the most innocent, yet, longest sentence I've heard him say! And wait, did he just say green gur?! Does he mean the grass?!

"Broly?"

"Yes?"

"Can you explain to me why this Orange Balloon isn't attacking you?" Looking at the balloon, I could see the ball strangely placed on his shoulder.

"It's because he's my friend."

"Because… he's your friend?" He nodded his head.

"Yes."

"And… you tend to keep him around?" He nodded his head again.

"Yes." I… really want to say something to him, but this guy is as innocent as a kid. For some reason, the Orange Balloon won't attack him, and he's calling it his friend?! I… Broly, you are something.

"You won't put him back?" He shook his head.

"No. Friends... stick together."

I have a bad feeling about this.

* * *

After obtaining the Orange Balloon Shield, I thought it was time for us to grab something to eat. Spending nearly the entire day beating up Orange Balloons can do that to someone. Well, at least, for me. Broly said that he was hungry, but he also wondered if Ra, his 'new friend' was hungry…

...I didn't like where that was going so I decided to bring it along with us. Something in the back of my head told me that if I told him to not bring him with us… I might have had to deal with an angry Broly.

And I wouldn't like that… not one bit.

"Madam Heroine, are you enjoying your meal? You haven't taken a bite of it since… you know," When she looked at Broly, I could see the uncertainty. "He started eating." As I watched Broly devour the food in front of him, I could only nervously laugh.

"Oh, no, I enjoy it Myne, I was just thinking to myself. Broly doesn't have anything to do with me not eating." After raising a brow, she smiled.

"Well, as long as your having a good time, then I'm happy for you. I know it's hard dealing with… him, but I can see that you have a good personality within you. Any normal person would be stressing out or even scared of your situation." She does a point. Compared to the people who continued to stare at Broly, I didn't really have much of a problem with him. To be honest, I don't see him as a criminal at all. He's… innocent. But I don't think my word would change anyone's opinions of him.

"I wouldn't say that he's… hard to deal with. I just think people misunderstand him, that's all. He's really like a child, really." Hearing that, she smiled again.

"Oh? Is that so? In such a short amount of time, I can say that you're beginning to grow fond of him."

"F-fond?! I was only saying that he seems nice, that's all! A-anyway, I wanted to thank you for deciding to become my partner." Myne's eyes began to widen from what I had said. A few seconds later, she began to giggle.

"You don't need to thank me for anything, Madam Heroine. To be honest, I don't think I did all that much today…" She said with a sad expression.

"Even if you didn't do anything today, I'm grateful that you allowed me to learn how to fight on my own. If you're going to be my partner, then I can't allow myself to watch you fight on your own. I don't know about Broly with fighting, but it's the same for him too. Even with that big sword we bought for him, I can tell he can't fight everything on his own. Actually, no one can fight on their own." She clasped her hands with an approving smile.

"Anyway, since we're done for today, how about we relax? Us women need to relax from time to time correct? How about… refreshing yourself with some wine?" Picking up the nearest glass to her, I watched the red liquid move within the glass.

"No thanks, I'm not into alcohol." I rejected.

"That's unfortunate. How about him? Maybe he would like some?" Broly? Well, I don't know if he likes wine, but I guess I could ask him.

"Hey, Broly?" Setting down his third and final plate, he turned to me with food all over his mouth. He doesn't even know table manners…

"First, make sure you look presentable while you eat! You shouldn't eat like a pig in front of so many people!" Grabbing a cloth, I reached out to his cheeks to rub off the remaining food particles that was on his face. After wiping his face, I placed the cloth down.

"...Thank you. I am grateful." ...Why does he have to be so weird?

"No problem. Now, do you want something to drink? Do you like wine?" I showed him the glass of red liquid, only for him to look at it weirdly. Does he… not know what wine is either? I… really need to speak to him after this.

"Wine?" He pronounced weirdly. Taking the glass himself, he started to drink it. After that, he placed the glass back down. He made a weird face after drinking the entire glass. I guess he doesn't like wine.

"Don't like it?" He shook his head in response.

"No… I would rather have water." Well, at least he knows what that is…

"Well, at least it's good to know that you don't like alcohol. Since it's getting pretty late, how about we-"

"Is that an Orange Balloon?!" Hearing a woman cry out, I looked on our table to see Ra looking rather hungry. With that angry-looking expression, I think he is hungry! Wait, why am I focused on that?! Someone noticed Ra! Not only her, but a few people are looking at us with shocked expressions.

"How the hell did one get all the way in here?! Whatever, I'll get it!" A man sat up from his seat and unsheathed his blade. Walking over to our table, he had the expression enough to-

"Get away from him!" And just like that, the man was sent flying to the wall. Wait, I forgot Broly cares too much about Ra!

"Did he just protect that Orange Balloon?!"

"Why did he protect that monster?!"

"Wait, that's the criminal that infiltrated Melromarc!" Shit! Not only did Broly attack somebody, but he managed to get found out by the people in here! We have to leave! And now!

"Don't touch Ra!" Broly got up from his seat looking at everyone with a menacing expression. If I don't stop him, then he's going to hurt someone else!

"Broly-" Before I could tell Broly to stop, I watched Myne get up from her seat to talk to Broly. Was she… going to stop him?

"Listen, you need to calm down. Do you want to be reported to the king about your actions? You have already broken your first rule to not do anything rash, so if I must, then I will report this. Do you want to be executed?" When Broly turned to look at her, I could see that his eyes were shaking. Was he… scared?

"Broly, you need to stop and control yourself. Ra's okay, so you need to calm down. I… don't want to electrocute you, but if I need to, then I will." When I said electrocute, he took a step back. Hesitantly, his hand went to his neck for some reason.

"I'm… sorry." Calming down, Broly walked up to Ra and placed him on his shoulder. After that, he walked outside the building.

Not a single person said anything after that.

That… was the first time I witnessed Broly's power.

* * *

"Broly… I think we need to talk." After that… event, Myne and I decided that we needed rest. I was able to get a promise from Myne to keep what Broly did a secret, and so, I grabbed Broly from outside and took him to my room. Here, I'm sure that we'll be able to talk without trouble.

"Talk?" As he was sitting on my bed, I stood in front of him with my arms crossed. I was disappointed, but I couldn't show him that.

"What you did back there was dangerous, Broly. You're lucky that the man was still alive and breathing after sending him to that wall. If he wasn't wearing armor, then I don't know what would have happened to him."

"Hm." For some reason, Broly didn't even look bothered by the fact that he almost killed someone. I think… it's time to learn about him a bit more.

"...Where did you come from Broly?" I asked him. Taking Ra into his hands, he started to stretch the balloon's cheeks.

"I… come from Vampa." Vampa? That doesn't even sound like a place on Earth, so what exactly is that place?

"Okay, so, what is Vampa? Is that your home?"

"Vampa is not my home. I… never had a home. That is what my father said. He also said that we must survive on Vampa with the hope of someone saving us." 'On', meaning that… Broly is not from Earth…?!

"You… came from another planet?!" It's shocking to hear that there exist someone who lived on another planet than Earth. But, even if he didn't come from Earth, I never heard of a planet called Vampa. That's… strange. Where exactly did you come from Broly?

"This place is not like Vampa. It does not have places like this, it does not have huge monsters, and it doesn't have soft green fur on the ground." Huge monsters?! What planet did you come from Broly?!

"S-so… you fought huge monsters on Vampa, right?" I would rather not ask what kind of huge monsters he fought on that planet, so I'll just skip that question.

"Yes. Ever since I was little, I had always been on Vampa. I had fought and eaten monsters to continue living. They were scary at first, but I continued to fight them. And then… I met Ba." He… was on that planet fighting huge monsters ever since he was little? As a kid, he was… stranded on that planet?

"You said that you met Ba. Who is Ba?" At the mention of Ba, he started to smile.

"Ba was my friend. When I first met him, I was scared of his sharp teeth. But… I soon got over that as I trained with him by avoiding Ba's teeth. He was a fearsome monster on Vampa, but we soon became friends."

"Ba… was the first friend you ever had? Your… first friend was a monster on Vampa?" He nodded his head. While I was feeling all of this sadness from his story, he was smiling. Even with that painful experience of life he had on Vampa… he is still able to smile?

"But my father didn't like that," His smile faltered. "He wanted me to train, not play with Ba. So he… shot Ba's ear off with a gun. Ever since then, Ba has been angry with me. He was never the same after that shot. So, to keep reminding myself of how good friends we were, I kept his ear." He tapped on his green robe that was apparently the ear of Ba. If… Ba's ear fitted him like a robe, then, I might be able to guess how big Ba was.

But even when living in that kind of environment, what kind of father doesn't want his son to have a friend? If that happened to Ba when he tried to make a friend, then… all of his life, Broly doesn't know a single thing other than fighting. That's… I can't even respond to that.

"Were you sad after your dad did that? Don't you believe that it was wrong for your father to do such a thing to your friend? Did you… hate your dad after that happened to Ba? If your father told you to fight Ba instead of playing… would you do it?" He stopped stretching Ra's cheeks.

"Please, do not speak about him like that. No matter what I feel, he is my dad. He wishes the best for me." He sounded sad when he said that. It was like… he was forced to do things that his only told him to do.

Like no playing.

"...Broly, if you mind me asking, how did you get here?" Broly started to stretch Ra's cheeks again.

"I don't remember. I fought two people at first, but I… lost control of myself. And then, I found myself fighting somebody blue and… I can't remember," Fighting somebody? Was he… forced to fight? From his father by chance? Could losing control of himself possibly mean that he could go into a rampage if he's not in control of himself? "I remember being angry when my dad was killed… but something felt wrong. I… felt something painful when I-"

"It's okay, Broly, you don't have to continue. Just relax and calm down, okay?" I think that was enough for now. He told me enough of his sad past, so I think it's best if we just rest. I'm still confused as to what Broly actually is, but I'll take what I can get for now. Especially when Ra's a bit… suffering right now.

"Huh? Okay." I don't know if he noticed it, but he was stretching the balloon's face rather too far. He was going to rip Ra into two if I didn't stop him.

"You can take my bed for tonight, okay? I'll just sit here and hope to fall asleep." When he nodded his head, he rested his body on the bed and closed his eyes. Broly… he's nothing like a criminal. He's way too innocent to be considered a criminal. I don't know how he got here, but I know it wasn't his fault. He wouldn't target Melromarc for no reason. Something… happened to him that brought him here.

When I look at Ra, I could only smile at its sleeping face. Broly didn't attack that man because he was a criminal. To Broly, he was only protecting his friend from being killed… again. That was the reason he responded so violently. Ever since he was little, he was fighting for his life on a planet that's filled with monsters.

He's misunderstood by others.

"Nana… are we friends?" N-Nana?!

"...I-if you want me as your friend, then, sure. It's a shame that you're being seen as a criminal, Broly. If anything, when we encounter some people, maybe then, they'll realize how nice of a guy you are. You're a little bit confusing to read, but I think that's alright."

"...Then, we're friends?"

"Yes, Broly, we're friends. It's a pleasure to meet you again." Smiling, I offered my hand for him to shake. And unlike the first time, he was able to take my hand and shake it.

"It's a… pleasure as well, Nana." Having Ra on his stomach, he closed his eyes once again. Broly's only misunderstood, that's all. Other than the fact that he could look menacing since he's big and all, but since he doesn't understand how to socialize with other… humans, he doesn't know how to respond to certain things.

Nana, huh? The last time someone called me by that name… was by my family.

I never thought I would hear that nickname again.

* * *

"Silence!" And here we are, staring at the king once again. I knew Broly's actions wouldn't have come without consequences. Someone in that bar must've reported to the king about Broly and now… Broly is the one in trouble. Before coming here, I noticed that everything in my room was gone. The money and the equipment I had bought except for Broly's clothes had been stolen. I was worried for Myne, but before I could even get to her room, I was stopped by the soldiers. They told me that I had to meet the king, along with Broly.

The person that told the king that Broly-

"Myne, would you care to repeat your testimony to us again about what happened?" What? Myne… reported to the king?! But… she promised not to! Why would she even-

"Y-yes," Why the hell was she sounding like that?! What happened while we were asleep?! And what does this have to do with us?! "I-it happened last night; t-that criminal… attacked me when I was trying to calm him down!" What?! What the hell is she-wait, what's with those bruises on her face? Were those even real?! Why the hell is she trying to frame Broly to begin with?!

"Broly didn't-!" I tried to explain that she was lying, but her sobs were echoing throughout the room. She's trying to make this serious by putting on this fake act?!

"In the pub last night, that criminal randomly attacked an unarmed civilian! When I noticed that he was going on a rampage, I tried to calm him down, but he only attacked me! He was a monster!" That's not what happened at all! Why is she changing up the story to make Broly like the bad guy! Wait… that's exactly what she's doing! She's trying to get Broly executed by changing up the story to make him look like a savage!

"That's not what happened at all! She calmed him down, but he never attacked her!" As Broly was behind me, he stared at the soldiers that weren't far off from him. Any closer, and I think Broly will attack them. Broly might be strong, but I don't want him to kill anyone. I don't want Broly to throw away his innocence by killing them! How exactly can I even stop Broly from even doing that?!

"And explain what happened with the Shield Heroine again? If my memory is correct, I gave her the order of making sure the criminal was in check."

"She didn't do anything about it! Not once did she try to use the Slave Crest to stop him! Instead, she kept watching without doing a single thing!"

"I didn't do anything at the pub because I didn't want to hurt him! He was able to stop after-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear anything from you until I allow it, understand?! Not only am I hearing that he attacked my civilians, but I'm also hearing that you've neglected your duty that was given to you?! How must I trust you to even fight against the Waves?!" Why are they starting this with me?!

"The Shield Heroine neglected one basic duty of keeping eyes on the criminal? The king's right, how can we entrust our lies to someone like that? And especially the shield of all Heroes. That's the weakest weapon!"

"I'm sure that if that criminal was being watched by one of the other Heroes, then, none of this would've happened!"

"This is why we shouldn't have summoned the shield! If we have someone as ignorant as her, then, our lives will be doomed!"

What does the shield even have to do with any of this! It's not because I'm weak! It's because I didn't want to hurt someone as innocent as Broly!

"I kept track of him, but I wasn't going to harm him! I'm not treating Broly as some sort of slave or animal!" How… could they even think that I'll be like them! I'm not going to treat anyone lower than me! And for what reason would they even need to think that because I'm weak, that I can't follow orders! I have my own morals!

"I don't care what you think, Shield Heroine! You disobeyed my order and for that, you will have the punishment of having your payment lowered by 400," That's… it? Wait, for disobeying orders, I only get my payment lowered? "However, for that criminal, for attacking my civilians, he will be executed!"

"Executed?!" I asked incredulously. People started to cheer for the execution; wanting Broly down and over with. How could they want something so evil to happen? How could people ever wish for execution?

"No," Walking in front of Broly, I raised my shield. As this happened, Broly began to start growling at them. "If you're going to decide to execute Broly, then, I won't stand here and allow it." I was trying to protect Broly, not try to start a fight. If I can just explain to them that-

"The Shield Heroine is allying with the criminal?! I knew there was something about the two!" What? Broly is my partner, so, of course I will protect him! And what is with these random people trying to spice everything up?!

"Shield Heroine, what is the meaning of this?! Why do you choose to associate yourself with-!"

"Because I want to, damn it! And it's also the right thing to do! You call him a criminal even though you know nothing about him! He never wanted to infiltrate this place at all! I bet none of you even tried to figure out why he fell from out of the sky!" Broly started to growl more as the soldiers were starting to get closer to us. We… need to escape.

"So, you choose to become a traitor?! I don't know where this criminal came from, but you better choose your words more wisely, Shield Heroine. You are a valuable asset for fighting against the Waves, so-"

"I'd rather choose to fight for myself if you want to believe in a lie like that," In a way, it almost makes sense; the way they… "organized" their plan against us. "How could any of you even believe in something without the provided proof? She might have a bruise on her face, but she could've-" Wait, she was a part of their entire plan from the start! She was never part of my team, she was only with me to watch everything to see what was the best way to frame us!

"Nanami, you're not thinking straight; just back away from the criminal and-"

"I am thinking straight! And stop calling him a criminal, his name is Broly for God's sake! How could you people even believe that because I'm the Shield Heroine, that you look down on me! And you believe that I would just work with everyone as if nothing is wrong with this! I might be weak, but I'm standing up for what is right!" Ever since I had Broly join with me, I always found it weird as to why the king wanted him to become my partner.

They had set the both of us up!

I should've thought of something being up when Myne strangely joined up after Broly. To believe that I was going to have a fun life in a world, only to deal with this crap!

"Broly… take us out of here. I don't want to see these pieces of trash anymore." Broly then wrapped his arm around me and… started to hover? Broly could… Things in this world is going to be a whole lot different with Broly around…

"What?! That criminal was able to do magic?!" Staring back down at the other Heroes, I couldn't help but be disappointed. Even if they were Heroes, for them to support execution is wrong. Some kind of Heroes they are.

"I don't care what kind of shit you're going to be planning against me, king, but I'm going to tell you that whatever it is, you can go along with it! For now on, Broly and I will be fighting against the Waves on our own!" And with that said, Broly and I flew into the sky, destroying the ceiling along with us. For a world that would just plan something against me because of a shield is a world that shouldn't even exist!

The world chose to go against me, so I choose to fight for my own survival!


End file.
